New curriculum 2014

[coldfingersandtoes]

my kids school has inset days coming up during which they are discussing the new curriculum coming in september 2014, Does anyone know what this new curriculum is or what changes there are going to be, I can't find any info on it anywhere

[CouthyMow]

Marking place as interested. If they change it, it will be different for DC4 than it was with first 3 DC's.

[NewNameforNewTerm]

here

[YoullNeedATray]

The full document is here. www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/210969/NC_framework_document_-_FINAL.pdf

Years 2 and 6 are still working to the old curriculum. Primaries can use old, new or a transition between the two for years 1, 3, 4 and 5 this year. All years get the new stuff next year.

[AmberTheCat]

Summary is it's getting harder, especially in maths. Things that used to not be taught til secondary now coming down into primary. Some things being taught one, two or even three years earlier than currently. Maintained schools have to follow it, academies don't (but most probably will, as SATS will be based on it from 2016).

[CouthyMow]

What things? Will it affect DS2, who goes up to Secondary in September 2015? He is currently in Y5, working at a 4b in Maths. (He left his last school in July working at a 2b, so has made 6 sub levels progress in 13 weeks at his new school...shows how crap the Maths teaching was in his old school, which it was, they we're downgraded by Ofsted because of it).

He will sit his Y6 SATS in May 2015. Will he have to make even more of a jump than he already has?

[CouthyMow]

Were, not we're. Bloody autocorrect!

[mrz]

"Primaries can use old, new or a transition between the two for years 1, 3, 4 and 5 this year." Not that simple I'm afraid. Schools could introduce the new curriculum in Y3 & 4 this year if they wished (some have some haven't) but Y1, 2 & Y5, 6 must continue to use the old curriculum for English, Maths & Science.

[NewNameforNewTerm]

Try looking here for a summary of the changes. The first thing is a powerpoint with a brief summary about all subjects. The second thing down identifies the changes to the core subjects.

As the new curriculum comes in levels (and the currently technically non-existent sub-levels) will go altogether. There will be no such thing as "my child is working at x level". Although tests will probably continue in Year 2 and Year 6 it will be up to schools how they assess and rate progress at other times.

Not wanting to negate the progress your DS is making CouthyMow, but I would say the change in levels in just one term is also down to how the two schools make that level judgement. Not just "crap teaching". What were his end of KS1 levels in Year2?

[CouthyMow]

He was working below NC1. And I have an older DS, now in Y7, who is a Maths genius very good at Maths, who used to bemoan the awful methods the old school insisted upon in Maths, and refused to use them.

It's definitely not just a change in assessments - he can do percentages, fractions, multiplying fractions, things he just wasn't taught in the old school.

[mrz]

The main changes to the tests is there is no longer a calculator paper (level 3-5) and the reading test format is changing and of course the SPAG that was introduced last year.

[clam]

One of my colleagues went on a County-run Literacy course this week, aimed at preparing subject leaders for September.

Great idea - trouble was, none of the course leaders had any idea of what's to come either, and it was very much a case of "well here's lots of possibles, take your pick and choose what you want from it all."

[mrz]

The new curriculum sets out minimum entitlement but gives schools lots of freedom ... the idea of no framework seems to worry some teachers

[CouthyMow]

I know about the spag, DS1 did that last year.

[CouthyMow]

I don't think that the calculator paper not being done is an issue, I'm far more interested in his abilities WITHOUT a calculator. Nothing scary so far...

[mrz]

and the new reading test looks straightforward - not sure why the dfe say don't use the sample but have published it on line
media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/s/sampleks2l35%20english%20reading%20answer%20booklet.pdf

[rollonthesummer]

What are levels being replaced with? I cannot imagine for a second that Mr Goove will not enforce a lovely new means of tracking progress!?

[PiqueABoo]

Mr Gove is leaving it up to schools to choose their assessment methods. Whenever he delegates something to schools instead of issuing diktats, that generally means it's too difficult/toxic to risk touching.

There clearly will still be end-KS1 and end-KS2 national assessment, but the means are not set in stone yet. If it does work out as planned, then the first national assessment of the new primary curriculum will be in summer 2016. Hence although other school years will change to the new curriculum in September, the 2014/15 academic year Y2 and Y6 classes are supposed to stick to the old curriculum because they'll still be assessed via ye olde SATs in summer 2015.

I suspect some primaries will cling to NC levels for a while, but if they all rush out and use different things then you might struggle to figure out where you child sits academically e.g. determine whether an EduMegacorp Inc. maths assessment rating of 27 means your Y4 child is a low/middling/high performer.

Interesting times. Y6 DD will start secondary in September which despite the changes to KS3, feels a bit like a narrow escape.

[rollonthesummer]

I would imagine that if Goove doesn't implement something different, everyone will just continue to use the levels!

[mrz]

The only problem with that is that the New Curriculum doesn't marry with the levels

[rollonthesummer]

Oh really? Hmmm-so the hours of Target Tracker training we're just had was utterly pointless then! ;)

[mrz]

did it ever have a point other than to impress Ofsted?

[tiredbutnotweary]

Although schools can use an assessment method of their choice, is it true they will have to publish details (well, some sort of information) of said assessment method ... or did I dream that? (as in yes, I do feel sad that I don't know whether I've been dreaming about the future of NC levels)!

[mrz]

There are mixed messages at the moment. Mr Gove is saying scrap levels and Sir Michael is saying levels! levels! levels!

[tiredbutnotweary]

Hmmm am I wrong to think that heads use levels to performance manage their staff (who need to show x sublevels of progress for example)? What was there before levels & do you think nationally agreed benchmarks are generally preferable? I'm really interested in what there was before levels, did such a time really exist? I'm also really curious & can only wonder at Mr Gove's total aversion!

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

Don't OfSTED use levels to performance manage schools? How on earth can they make judgements about progress and attainment between schools without some sort of nationally agreed benchmarks.

I suspect this hasn't been thought through at all.